by bryan | Oct 28, 2011 | ASU, light rail corridor, Sports
by Dianna M. Náñez – Oct. 28, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Go ASU! Games and Events like this keep the light rail corridor in Tempe strong and vibrant. LightRailConnect.com pushes live, work and play near the tracks] Arizona State University’s homecoming festivities are a hoot for thousands of Sun Devil fans. But Saturday’s parade at 11:30 a.m. and football game at 3:30 will cause traffic headaches for residents who want to drive to Mill Avenue for dinner or shopping. Fans will crowd parking lots and streets near the stadium and downtown Tempe. The city shuts down University Drive for the homecoming parade. To make matters worse, football fans are sharing the streets today with thousands of participants in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, a fundraiser that starts at 7 a.m. just north of downtown and ASU at Tempe Beach Park. Sue Taaffe, a Tempe transportation spokeswoman, said the city posts traffic notices on its transit website to notify drivers and people who use public transportation of street closures and restrictions and bus detours. A quick review of the site makes it easier to navigate Tempe on days when major festivals, marathons or celebrations are scheduled. Because many major events are scheduled at Town Lake, which is near Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue, two major Tempe arteries, the restrictions usually hit downtown Tempe the hardest. But there are ways to ease traffic woes, Taaffe said. “We don’t want people to think downtown is closed. It’s more challenging to get downtown, but it’s not impossible,” she said. Many downtown Tempe businesses lament that the traffic restrictions...
by bryan | Oct 28, 2011 | Light Rail Business, News & Information, Restaurant
by Emily Gersema – Oct. 28, 2011 03:25 PM Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Thanks to the Bidwell family for keeping a tradition going. Light Rail Advisors developed LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine to also support fine dining and entertainment in the Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa light rail corridor] After a few months of renovations, Tom’s Tavern is back in business. Tom’s Tavern & 1929 Grill in downtown Phoenix reopened this month, unveiling a new look and a new menu under its new ownership — the Bidwill family, which also owns the Arizona Cardinals. The Bidwills bought the restaurant at Central Avenue and Washington Street this year from the Ratner family. The tavern has been around in various incarnations for more than 80 years and became a landmark restaurant for Phoenix politicos and regulars. “The expectation was that regulars who had been loyal to Tom’s for years would be back after the renovations and that we’d also pick up quite a few new customers,” said Michael Bidwill. “Since reopening a couple weeks ago, that has certainly proven to be the case.” The Bidwills’ remodel has upgraded Tom’s Tavern decor from diner to chic. The checkerboard floor is gone, replaced by a more elegantly bordered European tile with beige, red and dark-green details. The walls are painted in hues of beige or brown, and they’re covered with black and white photos of politicos, the bar’s former owners, photos of the tavern’s earliest years in the late 1920s, and pictures of some of Phoenix’s historic heavy hitters from now and years ago. Aged wood and leather booths border the eatery. Leather...
by bryan | Oct 28, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
by Emily Gersema – Oct. 28, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Downtown Phoenix is a crucial piece of the health of Phoenix and the light rail corridor. Light Rail Advisors supports business development along the tracks in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.] The cancellation of the Phoenix Suns’ games for the October preseason and two weeks in November has diverted some basketball fans from hanging out in downtown Phoenix and left businesses wondering whether more canceled games could hurt their bottom line. After 15 hours of talks on Wednesday, the NBA players union and team owners said they are hopeful a deal could be reached within days, which would allay fears of economic fallout. A lot of money is tied to the games, in addition to ticket, food and beverage sales. The Suns are in the 19th year of a multimillion-dollar, 30-year lease with Phoenix to operate and play in US Airways Center. Outside of the arena, downtown businesses benefit from fans’ attendance of the 41 home games in the NBA season. Fans splurge on drinks and food before and after the games. Many drive and pay for parking. Yet, assigning a dollar amount to the Phoenix Suns’ value for the local economy is difficult; no major Valley business group has ever studied the issue. Martin Shultz, chairman of the non-profit Phoenix Community Alliance, said businesses are hurt by game cancellations. “It is a setback,” said Shultz, a season ticketholder. “It’s not going to break us. On the other hand, it’s really disappointing. I hope it resolves itself quickly.” Some economists and business managers believe the financial toll of the NBA labor...
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
October 26, 2011 Opinions [Editor’s Note: Cityscape is a significant development in downtown Phoenix and to the growth of business success in the light rail corridor. Light Rail Advisors founded LightRailConnect.com and LightRailConnect Magazine to complement this goal] Exciting developments are happening in Phoenix. Not only is Phoenix one of the most desirable places in America to live, it is becoming one of the most ideal places to work. Phoenix is receiving another boost in the coming months with UnitedHealthcare’s move to the CityScape building in downtown. As one of the state’s largest health and well-being companies, serving more than 1.2 million Arizonans, UnitedHealthcare employs a broad workforce in Phoenix, including information-technology specialists, claims processors, clinical teams and health-plan leadership. This relocation further reinforces the company’s commitment to Phoenix as both an employer and community partner. We have been working with business leaders for months to bolster the economic engine that is downtown; and with UnitedHealthcare transferring such a large workforce there, nearby businesses should also benefit from increased foot traffic and economic activity. UnitedHealthcare’s move to CityScape represents yet another positive step in further establishing Phoenix as a world-class city. We are excited about building upon this recent success and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Phoenix and our residents. – Phil Gordon, Phoenix– Jeri Jones, Phoenix Gordon is mayor of Phoenix. Jones is CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual of Arizona. ...
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, light rail expansion, Mesa City
by Southeast Valley editorial board – Oct. 26, 2011 Our View Courtesy of the Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Light Rail Advisors fully supports the 3.1 mile light rail extension into downtown and to Mesa Drive. The company started LightRailConnect.com and the LightRainConnect Magazine to support business and economic growth in the light rail corridor] Mesa has a rare light-rail mulligan. And, thankfully, it knows it. The city dithered on advance planning for its initial, half-mile leg. It didn’t do enough to encourage and integrate development at its initial station. By the time it finally offered some much-needed direction for the area, the economy was in freefall. Not surprisingly, where Phoenix and Tempe have reaped billions of dollars in investment along light rail, Mesa has yet to see any appreciable economic benefit. But that’s not likely to be the case this time, now that the city is preparing for its next 3 miles of track. Mesa began studying options for redevelopment as soon as it approved the route through downtown to Mesa Drive and, eventually, Gilbert Road. Two years later, the city has created its Central Main Street Plan, a detailed yet flexible set of guidelines to help manage the change it knows is coming. Mesa also is nearly finished with a form-based zoning code for the area, which would focus less on segregating uses and more on ensuring buildings are well-designed. Those documents should be in place long before light rail opens in 2016, offering the clarity and predictability investors need to make serious infill and redevelopment proposals. And that’s important, even if the market for condominiums and high-rise buildings remains weak, because...
